Obama: Trade deal shows inaction on jobs in Congress

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said Saturday that Congress's bipartisan passage of trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama underscores its "lack of action" on his jobs plan.

"Next week, I'm urging members of Congress to vote on putting hundreds of thousands of teachers back in the classroom, cops back on the streets and firefighters back on the job," he said today in his weekly radio and Internet address. He said he will give Republicans who control the House "another chance" to approve his $447 billion jobs plan, which he has said could be brought to Congress piecemeal after the Senate blocked consideration of the full plan on Oct. 11.

He said bipartisan agreement in Congress to pass the trade deals on Wednesday shows "why it was so disappointing to see Senate Republicans obstruct the American Jobs Act."

In his address, Obama accused House Republicans of "picking partisan ideological fights," including efforts to roll back environmental protection and women's rights. He said "economic security for the middle class" is at stake in passage of the jobs plan.

"I'm going to travel all over the country over the next few weeks so that we can remind Congress that's their job," he said. "If they vote no on that, they'll have to tell you why."

House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of California, in the weekly Republican address, called on the president "to come off the campaign trail and get to work" on the passage of Republican bills to spur the economy.

"All told, the House has passed more than a dozen bills as part of our plan to get Americans working again," he said.

He said Obama should force Democrats who control the Senate to vote on the bills.